What makes a good song?

This is a discussion on What makes a good song? within the A Brief History of Cprogramming.com forums, part of the Community Boards category; Hey folks, just wondering what you think makes a good song? Something memorable? Something that peaks your imagination or reminds ...

I don't think the vocals realy mater, It's more the 'beat' and such. Take System of a Down for instance , and Tripple X (don't know if that's a moovie or a group) they talk in what sound like a nother language - although I dobt the language exists.

Britney Spears, not quite wearing many clothes, dancing provocatively on stage. Lyrics make no difference whatsoever.

But in all seriousness, I like it when people use harmonies (think that's what they are called). You know how in some of Linkin Park's songs they have one guy holding a note whilst another sings over the top and it just blends really well? Well I like that. I guess it's in the same key or something (I'm not very musical so I don't really know what the terms are).

>I like alot of classic rock, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Cream, Derek & The Dominos, Eagles... etc.
>I like it when people use harmonies

I can see that by your Dark Side of the Moon Avatar =)

Actually, I'm trying to stray away from that sort of harmonic music and want to place more emphasis on percussive elements of the music I'm trying to make.

Hm, put it this way, I want to write something you can dance to. And of course, like many, I struggle with repeation... but again the focus is to, well, basically create tones and textures that sound little to nothing like a guitar and standard 'rock' using, well, unfortunately, a guitar, a few effects, and sequencing software.

Um, guess that spoils my intent for now, something like Squarepusher or, oh here's a great example of the kind I am talking about: Bjork. Thanks.

Again that's rather, no not rather, completely vague, unconstructive, and at that cliche. Oh, and also it's a one line post at which I might as well wave my dusty mod-stick at.

But at any rate I am looking to write something of the sort, a classical guitar piece as a change of pace to all this multi-track layered stuff that is everywhere else. Something like "Avril 14th" by Aphex Twin when compared to everything else of theirs. Something of that sort.

Heh, Mozart had a way of constructing the music to get an emotional response. This is what makes a song or piece of music good. It invokes emotions. The lyrics are just there to tell the story, the music is there to make the person feel something.
Another favorite is the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Their whole purpose is to invoke emotional responses in the listener (and it does). Is that a little less vague?

Man's mind once streched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

In other words, if you teach your cat to bark (output) and eat dog food (input) that doesn't make him a dog. It would have to chase cars, chew bones, and have puppies before I'd call it Rover ;-)
- WaltP

To me, I like a song that makes you think differently. I'm in the drumline at school, and I actually like for people to show me up. It gives me a direction and how I should improve my playing to match and exceed their level. Doing that is what is getting me on snare next year. All I did for a while is just listen/watch other people play, and try to play it better.

Music can inspire you in many ways. That's a clue . Make something imspiring, and it will be remembered. That's what I look for in music. I don't care too much about genre. I mean, I listen to mostly metal (Sepultra, Soulfly, Mudvayne, Slayer, Pantera, Rammstein, etc.), but I listen to classical music. One of my favorites is Beethoven (spelling?). Mozart is nice as well.

When you write your music, let your heart go free. It doesn't matter if you make it completely abstract. Abstraction makes music interesting. Sometimes playing notes that aren't on the page is a good thing!

>I actually like for people to show me up. It gives me a direction and how I should improve my playing to match and exceed their level.

Me too, it's a great way to improve as a musician, and so far as technique it has really helped! (it's like programming =) Maybe as time comes on I'll have time to pick apart composition later too.

>Sometimes playing notes that aren't on the page is a good thing!

Actually, on the contrary I am from a rather different school of thought in the sense that though I have studied theory, I am focusing more on the melody and riffs while recording. In fact I usually just solo freely and pick whichever melodies sounded nice for a recurring theme later on (thanks to keen sequencing software!) But there are a few that I've actually taken time to write as they fit the groove and they end up to be in my opinion my best work.

At any rate, music is for me, but I am interested of any of you have any keen references for songwriting so far as structure goes that you might know of!

>Their whole purpose is to invoke emotional responses in the listener (and it does). Is that a little less vague?

Hm, reminds me of Indian Raga at that. Yes that is less vague, thank you very much Thantos! =)